January 2009 Notable Toys — Sporting Goods & Accessories

Full-size sports fun with these double-sided magnetic dartboards. With super strong magnets, the blunt-end darts hit and stick tightly on the board for hours of safe, game-time fun. Choose from Hockey/Lacrosse or Baseball/Soccer SportDARTS. 18"X14" flexible dartboard with eight magnetic darts.

LiddleLAX is the world's first 'liddle-size' lacrosse stick and ball set for great 'off-the-field' lacrosse fun and games. The lacrosse head is strung with 'stretchable stringing' to ensure maximum velocity of the mini elastic lax balls. Goalie target included for additional fun.

This 4-wheel, dual-deck carve board makes it smoother and easier to start carving up the streets. Its fun and much easier to control than older 2-wheel generation boards. The 4-80mm polyurethane wheels and ABEC-5 Bearings are smoother and stronger and rarely need to be replaced. Due to the inline wheels, the Shred Sled offers the feel of snowboarding while skateboarding. Editor's Note: Effective September 2010, the recommended retail price for the Shred Sled is reduced from $119.99 to $59.99. According to a press release, "The affordably priced Shred Sled will offer all of its original features that have proven to be a major success, including 4 x 80mm polyurethane wheels and ABEC-5 bearings."

Go! Go! Sports Girls are plush, sports-themed dolls for girls. They are designed to be a fun and educational way to promote self-appreciation and the benefits of daily exercise, healthy eating, good sleeping habits and overall healthy life-skills. A portion of profits are donated to organizations that encourage girls to develop healthy lifestyles. Launch date: November 11, 2008.
— Dana of Feeling Fit with Dana praised Dream Big for representing many sports and making the Go! Go! Sports Girls “look like dolls, not models, not movie stars, just dolls.”
— Reviewers from What the Stuff Toy Review found that girls loved the dolls and were easily able to identify with the variety of sports, looks and personalities. Adult reviewers appreciated the positive values and healthy habits encouraged by the dolls. The review did caution that the dolls’ small accessories were likely to be misplaced.
Awards: Dr. Toy 100 Best Children's Products - 2010

A colorful, comfortable, high-performance yoga mat that is also eco and health friendly. Perfect for children!
 

The Wave Stealth® Board, a newly designed in-line casterboard, blends the motions of surfing, snowboarding and skateboarding to the fast-growing and popular sport of Street Surfing. With a camouflaged design of Army green and brown colors, the Wave Stealth provides a fresh, fun ride for tweens or teens. It consists of two platforms with a sure grip-tape deckplate design, joined by an anodized torsion bar. The two “Street Tech” wheels have Abec 7 bearings and casters that spin 360 degrees while the swiveling base allows riders to self propel by going forward, downhill and even uphill by just bending their knees and twisting their hips and shoulders. This product was named a Greatest Product of 2008 for sporting goods by iParenting Media. Launch date: November 2008.

In this bean bag game of skill and accuracy, kids have the chance to choose their strategy — get three in a row to win or UPSET your opponent before they win. Launch date: 2009.

This is the first minigolf course to take away and play anywhere, indoor or outdoor. It was a finalist for the Golf Europe product award in 2008. The set includes 13 obstacles, one club, two balls and a scorepad. The game can be played on grass, tarmac, carpet, wood floors or ice. Launch date: 2008.

The Megatop is a perimeter-weighted, precision-built, high-performance throw top invented by Alan Adler, the famous inventor of Aerobie flying rings and other Aerobie high-performance sports toys. Using its quick launch accelerator, a skilled player can achieve 3,000+ RPM spin rates. Creative tricks and challenging games provide hours of fun. The Megatop is made in the USA. Launch date: October 2008.

The Fuzion Electron is great for cruising the neighborhood or going big in the park, and it's perfect for all ages. The Electron features an innovative new folding mechanism and ultra-light, compact design so it can be taken anywhere with ease. Although it is a new model, the Fuzion Electron still uses the same Fuzion Steering Technology (FST) as the original Fuzion scooters for maximum carving. "Fuzion scooters are the only four-wheeled carving scooter[s] on the market," Akiko Ezuka, marketing coordinator for Nextsport Inc., told TDmonthly. Launch date: September 2008.

These waterproof coveralls offer toddlers full-body coverage and protection from the rain and elements. The lightweight, breathable coveralls can be worn outdoors in the rain and dirt or worn indoors for messy arts and crafts. They keep kids dry, clean and comfortable, and come with handy waterproof bag for travel. The product has dual front zippers for quick changes, a generous fit for easy movement, extra-heavyweight nylon reinforcement on the seat and knees, sealed seams for waterproof coverage, elasticized wrist and ankle cuffs that fit over mitts and boots, and an elasticized hood with a brim to shed water. Launch date: 2007.

Kids can shoot, kick, throw and catch more easily than ever before. Spalding Rookie Gear is designed to weigh 25% less than standard Youth balls for kids 8 and under. A lighter ball creates a better playing experience for kids, allowing them to practice proper fundamentals more easily and build the confidence they need with a ball that is appropriate in size, and now, weight. Watch as your young athlete learns faster and performs better than ever. These technologically advanced, age-appropriate balls are available for basketball, soccer and football in a variety of colors and patterns. Launch date: 2008.